For those who are just beginning...

Well, I've been on MFP for 5 months now. We're having a family emergency today so it's a rough one and I decided I'd write a post on here to help focus on some of the amazing things I've done. (My Father-in-law had a massive heart attack today and is critical. This really hammers home the value of HEALTH.)

5 months ago I woke up sick and tired of being overweight and not feeling like myself. I found MFP and began this journey. I was very healthy for my adolescence and have always been interested in health and fitness but I've also always been overweight to some degree. When I began reading success stories on here I was really hoping to see someone who had always struggled with this issue and who had succeeded because I had truly come to believe that being fat was just part of my destiny. My father's whole family is obese (I wasn't raised with them at all) and it just seemed like my destiny. I have always been active, I grew up in a household of very nutritious food and positive healthy role modeling. But I was still fat. And I let things slide as my babies were born.

In June I woke up and was DONE. Finished with feeling doomed. I started here, followed the numbers and saw some great progress in the first few weeks (those motivating water lbs and recently-added lbs of fat that come off easily). I've had fast periods, slow periods, a 5-week plateau (seems I needed to increase my calories!) and I am now over half way to my goal. This New Years rather than hoping this is the year I'll finally find the "magic" key to making this life-long dream come true, I'll know I've lost at least 50lbs. That's the goal anyway . And I'm confident that next year I'll meet my goal size.

Every single body has the ability to lose fat and gain healthy muscle. You need to work with the numbers and also experiment to know what works for your body specifically. When you first start out your metabolism has to make adjustments. Assuming you've taken on a calorie deficit your body needs a chance to believe that you're going to keep feeding it and that you're not in fact entering a famine so be patient if you don't see results instantly or if you even gain a couple of lbs. My two greatest pieces of advice are: don't weigh in too often. At first it's tempting but the fluctuations really can mess with your emotions and can actually CAUSE destructive behaviour because you can get bummed and compensate with food or lack of activity etc. And weight really does fluctuate naturally. One weigh-in is not NEARLY as important as a trend over time. ALSO, this is nothing if not a game of patience. Think stock market. The rule is that regardless of market fluctuations if you leave your investments over a very long stretch (decades!) you remain unaffected in the end. The road you are starting here has many ups and downs and its fair share of challenges but if you learn to truly trust that patience and perseverance are paramount you will ultimately succeed. Make the right choices at least 80% of the time, try to avoid major preventable set-backs and when they happen (which sometimes they will!), learn to move on immediately. Not "tomorrow" but right now. The very next time you have a chance to make a decision, big or small, make it a good one. Don't let the lapses run you.
You can do this. Just keep following the numbers and it will work for you too

I have a before picture in my profile. I'll get a body in progress picture some time soon. Good luck everyone, or more so good WILL. Believe in yourself!